Cheating death and fighting communism: that is how a fellow officer once described our job. It was meant to be funny, but as time went on it seemed all too true.
I spent more than ten years in law enforcement, all of it on the street in uniform patrol. I've been a patrol officer, instructor, sergeant and lieutenant.
Do not report crimes here. Nothing here should be considered legal advice. All opinions are my own.
Contact an attorney. Oh, and never use the "my leg had a cramp" line again.
Call the police.
Yes, any time an officer arrives at the scene of a call, makes a traffic stop, rolls up on an undispatched incident, or does pretty much anything, he/she calls it in on the radio. It is a safety issue. Most patrol cars have GPS and are constantly tracked by dispatch also.
The case remains open but inactive. Should new evidence be presented in the case (not likely), the case may develop further.
However, the victim can always decide to make a change in his or her life, and even if no arrest is made, there are private and public resources available to help them leave the situation.
Certified Nurse Aide
Is it uncomfortable having to help the elderly go to the bathroom and how did you get used to it?
Starbucks Barista
Why does Starbucks attract so many homeless people?
Farmer
Public transportation. You created the problem, now you must live with the consequences.
TV and the movies rarely portray law enforcement (or anything else for that matter) in a realistic manner. Even the so-called reality shows are heavily edited to present what the network wants to show you.
As for their reasoning...well it all revolves around $$$. The better the story, the more viewers they get. More viewers = more advertising dollars. Everything on TV is about making money. That is the reason why "news" programs are sensationalistic rather than objective.
I've touched on these topics before. In brief:
1. Every department's hiring standards are different. Contact the agency you would want to work for and see what their requirements are. Most are looking for a two year degree or military experience. A few want a four year degree.
2. All other things being equal, the military experience is far more valuable than the piece of paper from some college.
3. A CJ major is not needed to get hired, even if a department requires a college degree. Consider picking a major with practical application beyond law enforcement.
4. Debt is bad. Student debt is extremely bad. A cops salary will not pay off a student loan very quickly at all. Student debt is one of the major problems with the economy in this country now.
If I was just starting out, I would join the military and work on my two-year degree while I was active duty. Then I would come out with a head start on college plus the GI bill if I wanted to continue that. If I wanted to jump right into police work, I would have the experience plus a two year degree. Many departments offer a tuition reimbursement program, so you could go to work for a PD, continue college on their dime and save the GI bill for an advanced school if you so desired.
For example, 4 years military gets the GI bill and a two year degree. 4 years as a law enforcement officer and you get your bachelors degree. Then you could use your GI bill to get a law degree if you wanted. Just my thoughts.
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